Portsmouth

These are exciting times for Portsmouth fans. Having won the FA Cup for the first time in 69 years, manager Harry Redknapp will be hoping to build on the club's success next season and has already made one huge signing, with Peter Crouch opting to join the club instead of signing a new contract with Liverpool. With a new stadium also in the pipeline, Portsmouth supporters will be hoping that the best is yet to come.

Fratton Park

Portsmouth have been playing at Fratton Park since the club's inception in 1898. The ground now has a capacity of 20,288 and is seen as one of the most atmospheric stadiums in English football. This provides the team with an all important advantage when playing at home, something Portsmouth have capitalised on in recent years, picking up points on a regular basis against the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool.

Tickets

Unlike some clubs, matches are not split into different pricing categories depending on the opponents. As such, ticket prices rarely change and are currently as follows:

• West Stand - £38 (adult), £28 (senior), £22 (junior)

• Milton End (East Stand) - £35 (adult), £26 (senior), £15 (junior)

• South Stand Upper Wing A and D - £38 (adult), £28 (senior), £22 (junior)

• South Stand Upper Centre - £42 (adult), £30 (senior), £22 (junior)

• South Stand Family (lower) Section - £33 (adult), £20 (senior), £10 (junior)

• North Stand Upper Wing G and E - £38 (adult), £28 (senior), £22 (junior)

• North Stand Upper Centre - £42 (adult), £30 (senior), £22 (junior)

• North Stand Lower - £38 (adult), £28 (senior), £22 (junior)

The age classifications are for adults (17-60), seniors (60+) and juniors (under 17). Tickets can be purchased from the club's Official Website, via the ticket line on 0844 847 1898 or in person at Portsmouth's ticket office in Rodney Road.

Travel

By Car:
From The West – Travel along the M27 and onto the A27 then turn right onto the A2030 towards Southsea/Fratton. Continue straight on until you arrive at the ground.

From The M25 – Travel along the A3 until you join the A27 and then turn right onto the A2030 towards Southsea/Fratton. Continue straight on until you arrive at the ground.

A large car park can be found at the ground but this is for home supporters only and fills up very quickly on match day. As with any Premiership club it's best to get there early if you want to avoid wasting time searching for a place to park.

By Train:
The nearest railway station to the stadium is Fratton which is just a ten minute walk away. After leaving the station, turn left onto Goldsmith Avenue and continue for approximately half a mile. Turn left again onto Frogmore Road and continue straight on until you arrive at the ground.

The future

In April 2007, Portsmouth announced plans to build a brand new 36,000 seater stadium on the city's waterfront. More detailed plans were unveiled in June this year and the club's chief executive Peter Storrie described the stadium as 'perfection'.

The development is being headed up by architects Herzog & de Meuron, who are responsible for Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena and the Beijing National Stadium. The project is expected to cost somewhere in the region of £600 million and Portsmouth hope to begin building work in 2009.

First Team Squad

David James (1)

• DOB: 01/08/1970
• Appearances: 83

The veteran David James is a bit of a rarity for a footballer as he seems to have gotten better with age. Renowned for being a fantastic shot stopper, James got his big break with a move from Watford to Liverpool in 1992. However it wasn't long before the pressure of the move started to tell and he picked up the unwanted moniker 'Calamity James' after a series of blunders cost the club dearly in key matches. Since moving on from Anfield James has gone from strength to strength and is currently Portsmouth and England number one, having enjoyed stints at Aston Villa, West Ham and Manchester City.

Linvoy Primus (2)

• DOB: 14/09/1973
• Appearances: 218
• Goals: 6

Central defender Primus is one of Portsmouth's longest serving players, making 218 appearances since a move from Reading in 2000. Primus has already enjoyed eight years at the club, during which time he has impressed fans and critics alike with his performances at both Championship and Premiership level. Despite missing most of the 2007-08 season due to injury, few would be surprised if he returns to make a significant contribution to the side, even though he is now in his late thirties.

Lauren (4)

• DOB: 19/01/1977
• Appearances: 29
• Goals: 0

Lauren followed in Sol Campbell's footsteps, joining from Arsenal in January 2007 and has brought with him a wealth of experience. The Cameroonian defender has 25 caps for his country and has won a host of honours both domestically and internationally. Although Glen Johnson seems to have secured the right back slot for the time being, Lauren is still an excellent player to have in reserve and it's unlikely Harry Redknapp will give up his services without a fight.

Glen Johnson (5)

• DOB: 23/08/1984
• Appearances: 63
• Goals:1

Big things were expected of Glen Johnson when he left West Ham to become one of Chelsea's first Abramovich era signings for £6 million aged just 19. An England debut followed, but when then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri was replaced by Jose Mourinho, Johnson lost his first team place and his form started to suffer. Fortunately for Johnson, his manager at West Ham, Harry Redknapp, stepped in and brought him to Portsmouth, first on loan and then, in August 2007, on a permanent deal. Johnson's form has improved considerably since the move and he has been rewarded with a recall to the England set up after a lengthy absence.

Lassana Diarra (6)

• DOB: 10/03/1985
• Appearances: 17
• Goals: 2

Lassana Diarra may only be 23 but he has already had a full career. The Frenchman got his big break with a move from Le Havre to Chelsea in 2005 and things seemed to be going well as he picked up the 'Young Player of the Season' award in his first year.

It's clear Diarra is very talented but one thing the he does seem to lack is patience and, despite making 31 appearances in two seasons, was soon on the move to Arsenal in 2007 in search of more regular first team football. However, when this didn't materialise immediately, Diarra was on the move again, this time to Portsmouth in January 2008.

Since his move, the France international has been in sparkling form and has finally secured himself a first team spot. Whether that will be enough to keep him at Portsmouth through the summer is still up for debate. Loyalty is quite clearly not Diarra's strongest point. Indeed, even after winning the FA Cup, Portsmouth assistant manager Tony Adam's expressed doubts as to whether the Frenchman will be staying on the south coast for much longer.

Hermann Hreidarsson (7)

• DOB: 11/07/1974
• Appearances: 39
• Goals: 3

Journeyman defender Hermann Hreidarsson joined his seventh club in the summer of 2007 and has enjoyed a solid first season. The Icelandic left back is well known for his strong, consistent displays and has previously appeared in the Premiership for Charlton, Ipswich and Wimbledon.

Papa Bouba Diop (8)

• DOB: 28/01/1978
• Appearances: 32
• Goals: 0

Renowned for his powerful displays in the centre of midfield, Papa Bouba Diop joined Portsmouth after three seasons at Fulham in August 2007. The Senagalese star featured regularly during his first season, making 32 appearances, although he is still yet to score his first goal for the club.

David Nugent (10)

• DOB: 02/05/1985
• Appearances: 21
• Goals: 3

Young striker David Nugent arrived from Preston North End in a £6million deal after a long pursuit from Harry Redknapp in the summer of 2007. However, the move has gone pear shaped after his first season yielded just three goals. Nugent seems keen to stay and make a success of his move after turning down a loan switch to Ipswich, although whether Redknapp's patience has already been exhausted remains to be seen.

Remarkably, while still at Preston, Nugent earned a first and so far only call up to the England squad. He got off to the best possible start by coming off the bench to score against Andorra in a 3-0 victory.

Jermain Defoe (14)

• DOB: 07/10/1982
• Appearances: 12
• Goals: 8

In January 2008, Jermain Defoe became the second former West Ham player to rejoin old boss Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth. Like Glen Johnson, Defoe had lost his way a little in the intervening years but is now flourishing under Redknapp's guidance. Defoe's main problem at his previous club, Tottenham Hotspur, was simply getting into the starting line up but at Portsmouth he has gone straight into the first team and rewarded his manager's faith with 8 goals in his first 12 games for the club.

Jermain Defoe also overshadowed another new signing, Nicolas Anelka, and his first Premiership goal for Chelsea, with a debut equaliser against the title hopefuls. This goal kept up an impressive record for Defoe, who has scored on his first appearance at every single club he has played at.

Sylvain Distin (15)

• DOB: 16/12/1977
• Appearances: 45
• Goals:0

Experienced central defender Sylvain Distain was one of a number of well known players to sign for the club during the Summer 2007 transfer window. Like many of his fellow signings, Distin has been quick to establish himself as a first team regular, forming an impressive partnership with Sol Campbell at the heart of the Portsmouth defence. The capture of Distin was a bit of a coup by Harry Redknapp, who managed to sign the defender on a free transfer despite an impressive couple of seasons at Manchester City and reported interest from Newcastle United.

Noe Pamarot (16)

• DOB: 14/04/1979
• Appearances: 58
• Goals: 5

This is defender Noe Pamarot's second spell at the club. The Frenchman had a loan stint at Portsmouth during the 1999-00 season but didn't move to England permanently until 2004, when he joined Tottenham Hotspur from Nice. A move to Portsmouth followed in January 2007 where his versatility has made him a very useful option to have in the squad. Pamarot also has a good goalscoring record, netting 5 goals so far for the club, including a goal of the season contender in 2007/2008 against Newcastle.

John Utaka (17)

• DOB: 08/01/1982
• Appearances: 36
• Goals: 5

Speedy Nigeria international John Utaka arrived at Portsmouth in July 2007 after taking a slightly unusual career path that has seen him play in Egypt, Qatar and France. Utaka arrived with a big reputation but, despite a good start to his Portsmouth career, didn't quite perform as some had hoped. However, signs of an improvement were evident towards the end of the season, with Utaka setting up Kanu's cup winning goal, and Portsmouth fans will be hoping that the striker can build on performances like these next season and beyond.

Arnold Mvuemba (18)

• DOB: 28/01/1985
• Appearances: 19
• Goals: 1

After a successful loan spell from French club Stade Rennes, midfielder Arnold Mvuemba joined Portsmouth on a permanent transfer in the summer of 2007. The young Frenchman is yet to become a first team regular but there are high hopes that he will go on to become an important player for the club.

Niko Kranjcar (19)

• DOB: 13/08/1984
• Appearances: 70
• Goals: 7

Joining the club from Hajduk Split in August 2006, midfielder Niko Kranjcar had a slow start to his Portsmouth career, making less than 30 appearances in his first season, many of which were as a substitute. However, the young Croat has risen to prominence this year with some sparkling performances for both club and country that have seen him linked with a move to the likes of Roma and Monaco. Kranjcar has so far dismissed these rumours and the Portsmouth fans and management alike will certainly be hoping he continues to showcase his talents at Fratton Park for the foreseeable future.

Martin Cranie (20)

• DOB: 20/09/1986
• Appearances: 3
• Goals; 0

Promising defender Martin Cranie followed Redknapp out of Southampton to Portsmouth, joining in the summer of 2007. He has yet to break into the first team set-up and was sent on loan to QPR during his first season, only for the spell to be curtailed after suffering a broken leg against Coventry.

Jamie Ashdown (21)

• DOB: 30/11/1980
• Appearances: 44

Perennial back up keeper Jamie Ashdown has been at Portsmouth since a 2004 move from Reading. He has made just 44 appearances after playing number two to a succession of goalkeepers, from Trinidad stopper Shaka Hislop to current incumbent David James.

Richard Hughes (22)

• DOB: 25/06/1979
• Appearances: 110
• Goals: 1

Along with Linvoy Primus, Hughes is currently Portsmouth's only first team player to have been at the club for 5 years or more. The midfielder has made 110 appearances since moving from Bournemouth in 2002 and, despite scoring just one goal for the club, is a consistent performer and remains a very useful option for the manager Harry Redknapp.

(c) Sol Campbell (23)

• DOB: 18/09/1974
• Appearances: 71
• Goals: 2

Portsmouth captain Sol Campbell has had a glittering career, winning 73 England caps and numerous trophies. After a highly controversial move to Arsenal from Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer in 2001, Campbell cemented his reputation as one of the best defenders in the world, winning two Premiership titles and one FA Cup as well as being selected in FIFA's team of the 2002 World Cup. Campbell's career appeared to be stalling badly in 2006 when injuries and a loss of form resulted in him leaving Arsenal, however he has been going through a resurgence of late and capped a highly impressive season for Portsmouth by lifting the FA Cup for a second time.

Richard Duffy (24)

• DOB: 30/08/1985
• Appearances: 2
• Goals: 0

Defender Richard Duffy signed in 2004 from Swansea City but has struggled to get into the team ahead of the likes of Campbell and Johnson and has twice been sent out on loan to Championship sides. Soon to turn 23, you get the feeling his time at Portsmouth might be drawing to a close if he doesn't add to his two appearances soon.

Nwankwo Kanu (27)

• DOB: 01/08/1976
• Appearances: 68
• Goals: 19

Kanu is in many ways the sort of player Harry Redknapp excels with. After a glittering career in which he won the Champions League at Ajax and became a fan favourite at Arsenal, Kanu's star appeared to be on the wane after an unsuccessful spell at West Bromwich Albion. However, unlike Bryan Robson, his manager at the Midlands club (who often seems to achieve the opposite), Redknapp seems to bring the best out of struggling players and Kanu, much like Sol Campbell, has enjoyed a major resurgence. This upturn in fortunes came to a head at the end of last season with an FA Cup final winner that has seen the Nigerian write his name into the history books of yet another club.

This continues a trend that has lasted Kanu's entire career too. Never one to go missing on the big occasion, Kanu chose a London derby with Chelsea to announce his arrival on the Premiership scene. The Nigerian star had struggled to find his best form after arriving at Arsenal a few months previously, but a stunning 15 minute hat-trick to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 victory earned him instant hero status.

Sean Davis (28)

• DOB: 20/09/1979
• Appearances: 75
• Goals: 2

Midfielder Davis joined Portsmouth in January 2006 as part of a £7 million deal that also saw Noe Pamorot and Pedro Mendes join from Tottenham Hotspur. Although he didn't make quite the impact of fellow midfielder Mendes, he has arguably been the more consistent of the two, making 75 appearances since his move. Davis plied his trade at Fulham previously, where he became one of only a handful of players to play in all four divisions of English league football, before moving on to Spurs for an undisclosed fee.

Miguel Pedro Mendes (30)

• DOB: 26/02/1979
• Appearances: 67
• Goals: 5

Currently 29, central midfielder Pedro Mendes has certainly had an interesting career. After joining Jose Mourinho's Porto side in 2003, Mendes won the UEFA Champions League before moving to England with Tottenham Hotspur, where he infamously had a goal from the halfway line wrongly disallowed against Manchester United. His Portsmouth career has been no less eventful. Mendes joined the relegation threatened club in 2006, where he scored a crucial long range winner against Manchester City, sparking an incredible upturn in fortunes that saw the club survive the drop.

However, Mendes has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons. During an otherwise uneventful 0-0 draw with Manchester City, Mendes was taken to hospital after a horrendous tackle from City defender Ben Thatcher. The tackle was so bad that the police looked into the incident and Thatcher was suspended by his own club.

Glen Little (-)

• DOB: 15/10/1975

A bit of a surprise signing by Redknapp, 32 year old winger Glen Little was Portsmouth's first purchase of the 2008 Summer transfer window. He joined on a one year contract from Reading, despite only making two appearances last season due to an Achilles injury.

Ben Sahar (-)

• DOB: 10/08/1989

Talented youngster Ben Sahar joined Portsmouth from Chelsea in July 2008 on a six month loan deal. The Israeli international spent last season on loan at both Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday. He's made a good impression in the Championship, particularly at Wednesday where he scored 3 goals which were crucial to the club's successful fight against relegation. Sahar is stepping up a class this year and if he can break into the Portsmouth side and prove himself as a Premiership class player at this young age, he may have a very bright future indeed.

Peter Crouch (-)

DOB: 30/01/1981

Crouch may only be 27 but he's already played for more clubs than most. When Harry Redknapp finally got his man for an undisclosed but probably club record fee in July 2008, Portsmouth would have become the striker's tenth different club, had he not already spent a year at Fratton Park back in 2000.

Crouch's stand out feature has always been his extraordinary height (6ft 7”) but, after joining Southampton in July 2004, he started to prove that he was much more than just a lanky target man. 16 goals in 33 appearances for the Saints soon propelled Crouch into the very top tier and, within a few months, he made his England debut and in the summer of 2005 joined Liverpool for £7 million.

Crouch's spell at Liverpool was in many respects a success, as he scored 42 goals in 135 games, including a memorable hat-trick against Arsenal. However the arrival of Fernando Torres in 2007 saw Crouch demoted to a bit part role and, much to the disappointment of many Liverpool fans, he was allowed to return to Portsmouth, where he will hope to add considerably to his previous total of 18 goals in 37 starts.

Back in happier days for the national side, Crouch won himself plenty of new fans during a World Cup warm up match against Hungary. It was during the comfortable victory that his memorable robot celebration was first displayed to the public. A few days previously, Crouch had been the cause of much hilarity with his attempts at dancing during the Beckhams' World Cup party but, rather than shying away, he decided to treat the nation to a repeat performance when he scored England's third goal of the evening.

Manager - Harry Redknapp

After narrowly missing out on the England job earlier this year, Harry Redknapp is still developing a reputation as one of the best managers in the Premiership as well as one of the most popular. His story is certainly not one of overnight success but he has still impressed at nearly every club he's managed.

Redknapp got his first job as manager in 1984 with Bournemouth and enjoyed an impressive 8 year spell at the club before joining West Ham in 1994. At the Hammers, Redknapp was largely to thank for bringing through some of England's most talented current players including Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Jermain Defoe. He also enjoyed considerable success, establishing the club as a regular top ten Premiership side before losing his job in unfortunate circumstances after a falling out with the club's Board of Directors in 2001.

That Summer, there were certainly no shortage of potential suitors and it was a bit of a surprise when Redknapp dropped down a division to become Director of Football at Portsmouth. It wasn't long, however, before he was back in the hot seat, taking over from Graham Rix in 2002 and wasted little time, leading the club to the Division One title the following season. However, despite keeping the team in the Premiership, Redknapp resigned in 2004 and somewhat ironically, the much derided Director of Football role proved to be his entry into the club and his undoing. Against Redknapp's will, then-chairman Milan Mandaric had appointed Velimir Zajec to the role. This caused a series of arguments, eventually resulting in the split.

More controversy was caused later that year when Redknapp took over at bitter rivals Southampton. However, the move didn't go as Redknapp would have hoped and that season Southampton were relegated. The very next year, Harry returned to Portsmouth, much to the surprise of hardly anyone, after weeks and weeks of newspaper rumours following a renewal in communications between Redknapp and Mandaric. This prompted mischievous talk of a conspiracy and it's certainly fair to say that Southampton have never been the same since. Pompey, on the other hand, have gone from strength to strength, with Redknapp saving them from relegation in his first few months back at the club before their magical FA Cup triumph in May 2008 just over two years after his return.

Owner - Alexandre Gaydamak

If it's the case that Roman Abramovich is a shady character that stays out of the limelight more often than not, then it's probably fair to say that Alexandre Gaydamak is almost invisible. The Franco-Russian millionaire took over from Mandaric as chairman in July 2006 but, even now, very little is known about him. Like Abramovich, that has not stopped him investing millions into the club, both on transfer fees and player wages. This has enabled manager Harry Redknapp to bring some genuinely big name players to the club such as Sol Campbell and Sulley Muntari.

It was widely reported in early 2008 that Gaydamak had put the club up for sale and was aiming to make a quick profit on his investment. Although still chairman, there remains considerable doubt as to his long term plans but, regardless of how long he stays, the Portsmouth fans can have few complaints about the team's performances, results and now honours during his short reign in charge.

Club Honours

• Football League - Champions (1949, 1950)

• FA Cup - Winners (1939, 2008), Runners-up (1929, 1934)

• League Division One - Champions (2003)

• League Division Two - Runners-up (1927, 1987)

• League Division Three - Champions (1926, 1983)

• Football League Division Three South - Champions (1924)

• Southern League - Champions (1904, 1920)

• FA Charity Shield - Winners (1949)

Club Records

• Record Attendance - 51,385 (v Derby County, FA Cup, 26 February 1949)

• Record Victory - 9-1 (v Notts County, Division 2, 9 April 1927)

• Record Defeat - 0-10 (v Leicester City, Division 1, 20 October 1928)

• Highest Scoring Game - 7-4 (v Reading, Premier League, 29 September 2007 (also a League Record))

• Most Appearances For Club - 834 (Jimmy Dickinson, 1946-1965)

• Most League Goals For Club - 194 (Peter Harris, 1946-60)

• Most League Goals In A Season - 42 (Guy Whittingham, 1992/93)

• Most Goals For Club - 208 (Peter Harris, 1946-60)

• Most International Caps Whilst At Club - 48 (Jimmy Dickinson, 1949-1956)

• Transfer Record (Received) - £12.8 million(from Inter Milan for Sulley Muntari, July 2008)

• Transfer Record (Paid) - £7 million (to Udinese for Sulley Muntari, May 2007)